RAIN AND WET ROCK The sandstone around Moab is fragile and is very easily damaged when it is wet. MORE INFO >>>

Holds rip off and climbs have been and will continue to be permanently damaged due to climbers not respecting this phenomenon. After a heavy storm the rock will remain wet, sometimes for several days. PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB IN MOAB during or after rain.

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Description

This is definitely the most popular tower in the Fishers, and Stolen Chimney on the corkscrew summit is one of the most popular routes in the desert. Rarely enough for the serious and scary Fishers, Stolen Chimney is a cruise that protects very well.

Ancient Art is a complicated formation with several major summits. The corkscrew summit is the one reached 99% of the time, but the others appear to be good outings as well. This is a great tower for the moderately experienced trad climber looking to experience what the Fisher Towers have to offer.

Getting There

Ancient Art is the multi-summited tower below the Kingfisher. Walk along the good trail from the parking lot for about a mile until just past the tower. Turn left onto a very good climber's trail that heads up the gully between Ancient Art and Cottontail Tower. The trail is excellent all the way to the base of the tower-look sharp for cairns.

This is by far the most popular route in the Fisher Towers, and a moderate classic. The route goes at 5.9 A0 if yarding on bolts, or can be free climbed at well protected 5.10.P1. Climb easy 5.4 broken rock to a huge ledge. If you are free climbing the route, belay here to avoid rope drag. Climb a 4 bolt ladder to a big belay ledge at the base of a chimney. 5.10, 120 feet.P2. Climb a really fun and well protected 5.8 mud chimney for about 90 feet to a belay on the right.P3...[more]Browse More Classics in UT

The three star rating is for the exposure rather than the rock quality. Yeah it isn't solid sandstone during the lower 2/3 of the climb, but the exposure is something you have to experience. The lower face before the chimney has four clips and goes around 10+. I think the book says the chimney goes at a 5.9. Technically, it was a little easier than 5.9, but I guess the dirt and sandy nature of this pitch increases the difficulty a bit. We soloed up the first part of the climb and then linked the 10+ face section and the chimney section into one longer pitch. (50M was fine). The face (protected by three clips) after the chimney just before reaching the bolts on the diving board/catwalk goes at 10 something also. Now you are ready to walk across (or scoot your bum across) to the camel's face. You can do the belly flop onto the top of the camel's face or traverse down and left to move up the corkscrew section. Then move up and right to attain the exposed summit. Double 60M rap from the ledge above the chimney pitch allows you to barely reach the ground. We rapped with a skinny 50M and a thick 60M which gets you to a spot where you then have to do two moves up a little slot and then two moves down on the other side in order to terra firma.

Great climb. Do NOT miss the corkscrew pitch. Its not that hard 5-7/8 As Eddy Murphy says in "Bowfinger" "Keep it Together, Keep it Together" PS Left my camera in the parking lot with some great pic's if found please call. I'm in the phone book SLC. Cheers and have a Great Climb

Climbed this in April (sorry I'm a little late), but the group behind us stripped the 2nd bolt on the bolt ladder. This would make those moves tough to aid. Please post up if it has been replaced, but this is beta, climbers should take with them.

Yup, some douchebag has removed two of the bolts on this route. The second bolt on the first bolt ladder is gone, which means you must make mandatory 5.10 moves in order to advance. This bolt really should be replaced because of the danger of decking on the ledge if you fall. Also, the first bolt on the second bolt ladder is missing as well making for a slightly more run out third pitch.

Don't assume "douchebag".I did the route last Fri and ran into a guy in the parking lot on Sat who said he pulled a bolt out with his fingers a couple weeks ago. Seems to me better gone than finger loose.

As Alex says, "the group behind us stripped the 2nd bolt". Removing a bad bolt is one thing, removing two perfectly good bolts in solid rock is another, especially when every guidebook printed says the route goes at 5.9, C0. By the way, we found one bolt at the base, it was in great shape, the only thing missing was the hanger.

The missing bolt on the first pitch is unfortunate because as previously mention it helps prevent a ledge fall. And although the one on the third pitch was not really necessary if shit hit the fan before you clip the now first bolt it would be very bad news. I climbed it this summer and the bolts seemed bomber then. When I climbed it yesterday the holes looked like they were fine.

No, im pretty sure that both of the bolts were intentionally removed. Both still had the collar and wedge still in the hole and they were tight. They were both indeed 5 piece rawls. If they had pulled then the colar and wedge would have been gone too. They had to be loosened in order to come out like that. They should have just been retightened instead of removed.

Fortunately, someone can easilly go back and should be able to place a new bolt back in the same hole. You might even be able to just place a new hanger and bolt stud back in using the same old wedge and collar(which is pretty new to begin with). There should be no need to redrill a new hole. Or you can take a new bolt and screw into the current wedge...tap it back in the hole, use some pliers to pull out the collar, then screw the bolt back in the wedge and pull the wedge out of the hole. Then just drill the hole a little deeper and use a new longer bolt. I would have done this when i was there this past week, but did not have my drill with me. Fortunately I personally did not feel that the bolts were necessary. I liked the way it forced you to free climb. Getting to the first bolt on the second bolt ladder is no harder than 5.5

On another note, did anyone notice that the large block on pitch 3 that you used to be there has fallen over and is now laying on the boulder between the large belay ledge. You used to step up on the boulder, then mantle up on top of the block in order to reach the fist bolt on that pitch. I wonder if that was knocked over intentionally, or by natural causes?

Can be climbed safely with a single set of Camalots #0.5 to #3 (double #1 optional, some quick draws, and four to six long (24") slings. "Yes" the first bolt on the last bolt ladder is still missing! The climbing is exposed but only 5.5ish to the next bolt. Placing a cam behind the flake below is a BAD idea! That flake is barely attached. As unique as this climb is, BEWARE! It seems to be a gumbi magnet. You may have to wait awhile and watch a total cluster above you!

Did this on a packed day (18 people on it) ended up being quite the cluster F. If it's busy find something else to climb for the day, it's a short route with ok climbing. The summit is very cool but, as a climb I'd give it 1 star.

I just wanted to add that this climb and rappel is possible with a SINGLE 60m rope. I couldn't find that info anywhere online, but my partner and I did it yesterday and you end up with about 3' to spare on each of the longer rappels.

Any guides want to take an exchange student from Germany up Corkscrew the last week of May for 200? I told her about my climb last September, and she wants to go up but cannot afford the official package. It could be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, so if you have a free day let me know. CarterMedia AT Hot mail Dot Com.

The climb we did in September, by the way, was awesome. It rained the night before (a lot) which was a pro and a con. Pro, because there was NOBODY waiting in the staging area, and a con because the rocks were still a little wet, and there was mud in the upper shelf, and a puddle or two in the rocks, including on the knob of corkscrew.

Climbing tip:

The second coolest photo you can take is of the front cliff when you are coming down. If you have anyone on the ground, tell them to take one (like attached) when you are coming down. It shows the huge size of the cliff there.

^^^Second this one. Climbing on Cutler the morning after a heavy rain is pretty dangerous. If there is enough water that it is pooling, probably wise to wait for the rock to dry. Be smart and don't turn into a statistic that will change access for the worse.

Please please PLEASE don't rappel down the chimney. If you have two ropes, you can rappel down the face to climber's left of the chimney with dual 60s, and completely avoid risking rock fall on parties below you, and avoid the possibility of a stuck rope.